Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Nov 5: Despite availability of hundreds of electronic gadgets, one thing that Kashmiris still use for combating the chilling cold of winter is Kangri, an earthen bowl encased in an exquisitely woven wicker basket.
As Kashmir experiences very harsh winters, with temperatures dipping below -10 at some places, Kashmiris continue to use traditional Kangri and Pheran to fight against the chilling cold.
A Kanger also known as Kangri or Kangid or Kangir is an earthen pot woven around with wicker filled with hot embers used by Kashmiris beneath their traditional clothing Pheran to keep the chill at bay, which is also regarded as a work of art.
People of Kashmir have been using Kangri for decades in order to keep themselves warm, however, elderly people said that in their time they were using Kangri which was only on earthenware without wicked twigs.
People from different areas of Kashmir said that despite the availability of advanced equipment, they are still using Kangri as it has its own charm.
In winters there are pesky power cuts, so people prefer to use Kangri which doesn’t need electricity to work like other warming keeping gadgets does.
Mohammed Akbar, a 90 year old resident of Pulwama said that when there was no electricity it was only a Kangri with charcoal which helped them to survive the chilling winter’s despite people used to living in muddy structures.
“Even today when there are hundreds of heating devices, it is only Kangri which keeps us warm 24×7 as heating devices work only when there is electricity,” he said.
The artisans associated with making Kangris said that despite hundreds of heating devices, the demand for Kangris continues to grow with each passing year.
Ghulam Mohammed, a resident of South Kashmir who has been weaving the wicker basket around the bowl since the last four decades said that with each passing year, the demand of Kangris grows and every year, he sells thousands of Kangris to earn his livelihood.
Mohammed Sultan, another weaver, said that as everything is getting expensive, it is difficult to make ends meet by weaving Kangris.
“With the onset of winter, the sale of Kangris goes up. This year Kashmir received snowfall early due to which the sale of the Kangris also started early,” Sultan said. “It is an important part of the Kashmiri culture which represents our identity and its importance will remain for decades together.”
